Today the federal and provincial governments announced $7 million for crop-related research through the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund (ADF). The funding extends to 40 research projects.
鈥淚nvestments in research are key to advancing Canada鈥檚 agricultural sector,鈥� said Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay.聽 鈥淪taying ahead of crop diseases and pests, and developing ways to adapt new crops to Saskatchewan鈥檚 environment will result in long-term benefits for farmers.鈥�
鈥淎griculture is a key driver of the economy in Saskatchewan and it plays an essential role on a global scale,鈥� Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart said. 鈥淧eople around the world rely on our province for high-quality food. Investing in research is vital to ensure our producers are growing what the world needs in the most efficient and sustainable way possible.鈥�
Examples of the projects receiving funding include researching the impact of drought and heat during flowering on canola yield, the screening and management of Fusarium Head Blight and improving wheat, lentil, faba bean and canaryseed varieties, to name a few.
The funding is bolstered as a result of support from industry partner organizations.聽 As a key component to ADF projects, producer involvement and funding is critical to the success of research projects.聽 Commodity organizations provided additional funding of nearly $2.8 million to the crop-related projects, with the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) providing nearly half at $1.1 million. Significant funding was also provided by the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission and the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission.
鈥淭he research community ensures we remain competitive and efficient,鈥� WGRF Board Chair Dave Sefton said.聽 鈥淐ollaboration between government, universities and producers is critical to the success of these projects and the growth of our agriculture sector.鈥�
Funding for ADF projects is provided under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. A complete list of funded projects is available at www.saskatchewan.ca under Agriculture Development Fund.
